Pentax K-r review:
Pentax K-r

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CNET Editors' Rating

The GoodEasy to use and handle; sharp results using the 18-55mm kit lens; good colours; relatively compact and lightweight; fast and responsive.

The BadNo HDMI output; no one-touch video-record button.

The Bottom LineThe Pentax K-r is a well-built, good-value and feature-packed digital SLR. It offers superb results to those trading up from a compact camera, with minimal scrutiny of the user manual required.

8.8 Overall

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We've taken some of our best shots with Pentax digital SLRs, so we have high hopes for the latest affordable addition to the family, the K-r. It sits above the well-received K-x and just below the semi-pro K-7 and newer K-5 in the current range. Our first impression of the 12.4-megapixel K-r is that Pentax has merged its mid-range and entry-level dSLRs into one snapper.

As always, Pentax will have a hard job convincing those upgrading from a compact to a DSLR for the first time to choose one of its cameras rather than one from the more extensive ranges provided by market leaders Canon and Nikon. The Canon EOS 550D and Nikon D3100 are perfectly decent entry-level options after all.

So what can the K-r offer to convince anyone who's wavering? For starters, there's the price. You can expect to pay around £580 for the body plus a standard 18-55mm lens, which is an affordable and decent set-up for new dSLR users.

Little bro

The K-r has very similar dimensions to its big brother, the K-7. The major handling differences are that it doesn't feature a secondary, top-mounted LCD display (enabling a quick glance at your chosen settings), and its handgrip is less contoured and so less comfortable. A large and obvious shooting-mode wheel sits where that display was located on the K-7, to the right of the built-in flash and vacant hotshoe. A forward-slanting shutter-release button sits atop the grip, encircled by a power switch.

Well-saturated colours, sharp detail from front to back, and a generally clear image leave us with very few gripes when it comes to our standard test shot (click image to enlarge).

Hold the camera in your right hand, and your thumb rests against a command dial on the back that's identical to the one on the rear of the K-7. This allows users to zoom into an image in playback mode to check detail, or alternatively display a series of thumbnails. There's no second command wheel on the front, like the K-7 has.

Flick the K-r's power switch to 'on', and you can be up and shooting as fast as your finger can find the shutter-release button. That's what we like to see.

With the camera set to autofocus mode, the K-r is similarly quick to pick out a target and determine focus and exposure, thanks to an 11-point autofocus. The lens motor whirs noisily yet impressively as it does so. The sound of the shutter firing is also loud and definitive. While these sounds mean that the user is reassured everything is working like clockwork, the K-r isn't the best tool for surreptitious snapping.

Steady as she goes

One advantage that the K-r has over Canon and Nikon's cameras is that Pentax has built anti-shake technology into the body. It's of the sensor-shift variety, so any lens immediately becomes image-stabilised. No specialist optics are required, and it's actually surprisingly effective. This also helps when shooting in low light, and Pentax has pushed the boat out in this respect by offering light-sensitivity settings up to a see-in-the-dark ISO 25,600. That's the kind of spec found on semi-pro and pro dSLRs.

That said, getting to grips with the K-r shouldn't trouble first-time users who've traded up from a compact, thanks to a control layout that's generally spacious, with large buttons and obvious labelling.

There's also the opportunity to leave the camera set to 'auto picture' mode, or any of the pre-optimised subject-specific settings, and simply snap away. Among the 14 choices on the shooting dial are settings covering portraits, landscapes, close-ups, action shots (with the Pentax offering up to 6-frames-per-second continuous shooting, for up to 25 JPEGs), and shooting at night. As your experience increases, there's then the opportunity to move onto the creative likes of program, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual.

Keep composed

The natural inclination is to use the optical viewfinder for composing images. It's reasonably bright and clear, and boasts a large and comfortable eye relief. But there's also the opportunity to switch to live-view mode and make use of the 3-inch, 921,000-pixel LCD screen, which otherwise displays shooting information. It's useful for deploying on those low- and high-angle shots, while anyone focusing manually will find it provides a larger point of reference than the optical viewfinder.